Brush construction



Oct. 23, 1956 w. A. LOMBARDI 2,767,418

BRUSH CONSTRUCTION Filed Jui 26, 1951 INVENTOR WILLIAM A. LOMBARDI 1 lllllwm ATTORNEYS 2m a M United States Patent BRUSH CONSTRUCTION William A. Lombardi, Derby, Conn. Application July 26, 1951, Serial No. 238,736

14 Claims. (Cl. 15-183) My invention relates to brush-mounting means and to a brush assembly utilizing such mounting means.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved means of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide improved deformable means for forcibly retaining bound brush strips in a brush assembly.

It is a further object to provide simplified constructions utilizing inherent resiliency and deformability of the materials for securely and permanently retaining brush strips in a brush assembly.

It is a general object to meet the above objects with constructions involving a minimum of special parts, assembly etfort, and labor, and at the same time a maximum of holding security.

Other objects and further features of the invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view in perspective of a brush :assembly incorporating features of the assembly;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of a brush- Inounting member utilized in the construction of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the fragment of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section illustrating a modification of the construction of Figs. 1 to 3; and

Figs. 5 to 9 are simplified fragmentary end views illusztr ating an alternative form of the invention as applied to each of a number of brush configurations.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates improved brush-mounting means for securely anchoring preassembled brush strips in longitudinally spaced support means therefor. The brush strips may be initially loosely retained or supported in brush-receiving openings in the supporting members, and I employ wedge means to anchor the brush strips in the slots by effectively converging the slot cross-section. The wedges may be tapering pins driven generally parallel to the inserted brush strips. In one form, the tapered pins are applied at a split in the supporting means between adjacent slots, and in another general form the. tapered pin is driven directly between a part of the slot and a part ofthe brush strip.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, my invention is shown in application to an elongated generallycylindrical brush assembly employing a plurality of? elongated p'reas'sembled brush strips .10.. Each brush strip may comprise bristles 11 wrapped around a core 12 and held in place by a crimped binder 13 embracing the bristles about the core 12. The brush strips may be supported on a plurality of longitudinally spaced supporting members 1415 which may be formed with enlarged hubs or bosses 16 for mounting. on a shaft or arbor 17. The brush strips may be received and longitudinally located in brush-receiving openings 18 formed in the periphery of each mounting member 14-1S, there being 2,767,418 Patented Oct. 23, 1956 ice one such brush slot for each interception of a brush strip 10 with a supporting member 14-15. The crosssection of the slot openings 18 is preferably of greater area than the inserted cross-sectional area of a brush binder 13 to be received therein, but the: walls of slots 18 preferably converge toward the mouth thereof, as at 20, so as to provide means of loosely retaining the inserted brush strips 10 in the process of assembly.

In accordance with the invention, I employ wedge means to effectively contract the slot openings 18 arid thereby to jam the brush-strip binders 13 firmly into place. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the wedge action is applied in a radially directed slot 21 between halves 24 of a lug defined between adjacent slot openings 18. The supporting member 14 may thus be said to comprise a plurality of radially directed lugs between slots 18-21, there being brush binders 13 received in some of the slots and wedge means in the form of a tapered pin 22 received in others of the slots. In the form shown, the wedge action of tapered pin 22 is differentially applied; thus, slots 21 need only be provided in every other space between brush-receiving slots 18. It will be understood that, upon driving the tapered pins 22, the two lugs 24 defined by the slot 21 and adjacent slots 18 will be spread away from each other so as to confine adjacent slots 13 and to jam adjacent brush binders 13 therein.

Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which a greater wedge-displacement action may be achieved with a tapered pin. In the arrangement of Fig. 4, the mounting plate or member 31 is provided with the same converging slotted openings 31 for adjacent brush binders 13, and every other space between adjacent slotted openings 31 is further slitted to provide relatively weakened lugs 33 to be spread by wedge action. In Fig. 4, the wedge is formed by the taper head 34 of a threaded member engaging a nut 35, hearing against a washer or directly against one face of the plate member 30, as shown.

In Figs. 5 to 9, I illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention in which wedge means in the form of a tapered pin 36 is employed to react directly between part of the brush-receiving slotted opening and the brush binder itself. In Fig. 5, the slotted openings 37 include a recess 38 at the bottom thereof to locate part of the body of the tapered pin 36. Preliminary assembly is effected upon longitudinally inserting brush binders 39 for loose retention in the slot openings 37. To secure the assembly, pin 36 is inserted and driven in the recess 38 along the bottom of the binder 39. The wedge action will result in slight deformation (as at 40) of the brush binder and in secure holding by the side walls of the slot 37, due to the converging cross-section of the slotted opening 37.

In Fig. 6, the slotted opening 37 is recessed at 38' on one side thereof to receive and locate the tapered pin 36. Assembly is secured by driving the pin in the recess 38 and against a side of the brush binder 33. The binder will be locally indented at 40' and will be securely jammed between the pin 36 and the unrecessed wall of the slot 37'.

In Fig. 7, I show how a tapered wedge 36 may retain a brush binder of pear-shape configuration, as received in a correspondingly contoured slotted opening 41. A pin-locating recess 42 may be formed to one side of the bottom of the slot opening 41. When the pin 36 is driven in the recess 42 and against a brush binder 43, local indentation at 34 will result, and the binder will be held securely in place.

In Fig. 8, I show how the pin 36 may retain a brush binder 50 of channel-shape configuration, as received in a correspondingly contoured slotted opening 51. As

in the ease of other slotted openings, the mouth of opening 51 may be characterized by convergence at 52 so as to provide a means for loosely holding the binder 50 against radial dislodgment. A pin-receiving recess 53 may be formed on one side of the slotted opening 51. When the pin 36 is driven in the recess 53, local indentation will result at 54, and the binder will be forced against the remote sides of the slotted opening 51 for secure retention.

In the arrangement of Fig. 9, a hexagonally-shaped binder 55 is held by pin means 36 in a similarly contoured slotted opening 56. The opening 56 may also be characterized by convergence at the mouth, and a pin-receiving recess 57 may be formed to one side and near the bottom of the slot opening 56. Upon driving the pin 56, there will be local indentation of the brush binder at 58, and the remote sides of the brush binder will be securely driven against the opposite side of the slotted opening 56.

It will be seen that I have described extremely simple means for producing a tight multiple-strip brush assembly. The assembly operation requires a minimum of special parts and labor, and yet a rugged and adequately locked article results.

While I have described my invention in detail for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Brush-mounting means, including plate means with a brush-receiving slot opening on a part of the periphery thereof, an elongated brush-binder strip extending generally transversely through said slot opening, the slot opening having a cross-section of greater area than the inserted cross-sectional area of said brush-binder strip, the slot opening being defined by walls converging toward the mouth of the opening to an extent exceeding the maximum inserted width of said binder strip, whereby the slot opening may loosely retain the inserted binder strip in a first assembly operation, said plate means having 'a wedge-guiding opening near said slot opening, and locking means including an elongated tapered wedge in said wedge-guiding opening and driven generally parallel to the elongation axis of said brush-binder strip, whereby on driving said wedge into said wedge-guiding openving said wedge may react against said plate means to effectively further constrict the slot opening, whereby upon such further constriction the binder strip may be clamped securely to said plate means.

2. Brush-mounting means according to claim 1, in which the wedge-guiding opening is formed in a part of the slot wall, and in which said wedge is driven between said part of the slot wall and the inserted binder.

3. Brush-mounting means according to claim 2, in which said part of the slot wall is the bottom thereof.

4. Brush-mounting means according to claim 2, in which said part of the slot wall is a lateral side thereof.

5. Brush-mounting means according to claim 1, in which said wedge is a tapered pin.

6. Brush-mounting means, including plate means with a plurality of brush-receiving slot openings spaced on the periphery thereof, whereby brush-spacing lugs are defined between said openings, the slot openings each having a cross-section of greater area than the inserted cross-sectional area of a brush binder to be received therein, the slot openings being defined by walls converging toward the mouths of the openings, whereby the openings may loosely retain the inserted binders in a first assembly operation, one of said lugs being slitted and thereby weakened intermediate the brush-receiving slots adjacent thereto, and locking means including a tapered wedge driven generally parallel to the inserted brush binder and in the slitted part of said one lug for effectively further constricting the adjacent slot openings,.whereby, upon such further constriction, the hinders in said adjacent openings may be clamped securely to said plate means.

7. Brush-mounting means according to claim 6, in which said wedge is a screw with a tapered head.

8. In a brush assembly of the character indicated, a circular plate, a plurality of angularly spaced radially projecting lugs on said plate, whereby radial slots are defined between said lugs, wedge means in at least every third slot between lugs, and brush-binder strips in remaining slots between lugs, the walls of said remaining slots being contoured for reception and unsecured retention of brush-binder strips inserted therein.

9. In a brush assembly of the character indicated, mounting-plate means including a plurality of spaced outwardly projecting lugs on a part of the periphery thereof, the spaces between lugs defining openings contoured for reception and unsecured retention of brush binders inserted therein, at least every other lug being weakened by an outwardly directed slit intermediate adjacent brush-receiving slots, and wedge means in said weakened part.

10. As an article of manufacture, brush-mounting means, comprising a plate with a plurality of spaced outwardly directed brush-retaining lugs on a part of the periphery thereof, one of said lugs being outwardly slitted, and wedge means in the slitted part of said one lug for laterally spreading said one lug.

11. An article according to claim 10, in which a wall of the slitted part of said one lug is recessed to receive and locate said wedge means.

12. An article according to claim 10, in which at least every other of said lugs is slitted.

13. As an article of manufacture, brush-mounting means comprising a circular plate with a plurality of angularly spaced radially projecting brush-strip-retaining lugs on the periphery thereof, some of said lugs having radial slits therein to permit lateral spreading of such lugs, adjacent parts of the walls of such slits being recessed with conjugate tapered recesses, a tapered wedge in the recesses of one slit, and screw means reacting against said plate for drawing said wedge into said recesses.

14. In combination, plate means with a brush-receiving slot opening on a part of the periphery thereof, an elongated brush assembly including a rigid brush binder of channel-shaped section inserted generally transversely through said slot opening, the slot opening of said plate means having a cross-section of greater area than the inserted cross-sectional area of said brush binder, the slot opening being defined by walls converging toward the mouth of the opening, whereby the slot opening may loosely retain the inserted binder in a first assembly operation, said plate means having a wedge-guiding opening near said slot opening, and locking means including a tapered wedge in said wedge-guiding opening and driven generally parallel to the inserted brush binder and of sufiiciently great effective width to jam in said wedgeguiding opening, whereby on jamming said wedge may react against said plate means to effectively further constrict the slot opening and thereby to clamp said binder securely to said plate means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,820 Vardell Aug. 30, 1910 1,011,831 Murray Dec. 13, 1911 1,766,388 Kovacs June 24, 1930 2,146,624 Cave Feb. 7, 1939 2,271,835 Cave Feb. 3, 1942 2,449,042 Abbrecht Sept. 14, 1948 2,450,679 May Oct. 5, 1948 2,523,823 Grzelczyk Sept. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,951 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1910 

